Benjamin Franklin

THE FIRST AMERICAN

How does one characterize Benjamin Franklin? Journalist, scientist, educator, politician, writer, administrator, philosopher — he truly seemed to be able to do almost everything. His accomplishments¹ and the talents and interests which he displayed during the course of his long life — 1706 to 1790 — have caused him to be called "the first American" and "the last universal man".

Benjamin was one of 17 children, all of whom were expected to help support the large Franklin household.² As a young child, he worked in the shop of his father, a soap and candlemaker,³ but this work did not appeal to the boy⁴ who loved to read and study. Therefore, when he was 12, Benjamin was sent to assist his half-brother James who had a printing shop.⁵ There, surrounded by books, young Ben would often stay up late into the night reading on a wide range of subjects, and as he read, he practiced improving his own style of writing.

In 1721, James began publishing a newspaper, the New England Courant. Benjamin secretly wrote articles for the paper under the pen name of "Dame Silence Dogood", putting them under the door of print shop late at night so that his brother would not know the articles were his. They were full of humour and wise observations of life in Boston, Franklin's birthplace, and they immediately became popular with the public.

After a quarrel with James, Benjamin left Boston to seek his own fortune.⁶ Failing to find work in New York City, the 17-year-old boy went on to Philadelphia where he found a job as a printer's apprentice⁷ and soon had a wide circle of friends. Within a few years, Franklin had got married, had started his own printing shop, and was looked upon as a successful young businessman.

In 1729, Franklin bought the newspaper, The Pennsylvania Gazette. Besides the regular news, Franklin included his own articles and editorials⁸ alive with humour and wisdom; and soon the paper was the most widely read in all of colonial America.

At the same time, Franklin involved himself in⁹ community projects. He founded, for example, the Junto, a discussion group that met weekly to debate the issues of the day. The Junto was active for 30 years and developed into the American Philosophical Society. He also founded the country's first subscription library¹⁰ and organized America's first fire-fighting and fire insurance companies.¹⁵ He helped improve the local police force and to establish a hospital and a college which later became the University of Pennsylvania. He once said of his activities, "I would rather have it said, 'He lived useful', than "he died rich'..."

In 1732, Franklin began the publication of an almanac under the name Richard Saunders (an English astrologer). He continued to publish it annually for about 25 years, and it came to be known as Poor Richard's Almanac. '

As an experimenter and practical user of scientific facts, Franklin looked for easier and better ways to do things. He invented an open stove,¹ the Franklin stove, which gave more heat and wasted less fuel² than a fireplace. He also invented a musical instrument called the glass harmonica and the stepladder³ chair.

Franklin is especially famous for his contributions in the field of electricity. The commonest terms used in electricity today are Franklin's words: battery, armature,⁴ charge,⁵ condense, conductor,⁶ plus, minus, positive, negative — terms he made up as he made observations or conducted experiments. He is best known, however, for his discovery that electricity and natural lightning are the same. He invented the lightning rod⁷ which today protects millions of buildings from lightning.

He also did pioneer work in the field of weather observations. Few people know that it was Benjamin Franklin who discovered the movement of storms from west to east upon which all weather forecasting today has been based. He also made the first scientific study of the Gulf Stream,⁸ that mysterious body of warm water that flows up the eastern coast of the United States and then heads off for Europe.

In 1757, Franklin went to London as a colonial agent. He worked hard to bridge the developing division⁹ between England and her American colonies. He had always considered himself a loyal Englishman. Gradually, however, his sympathies became more and more American and less British, and his ideas favouring American independence became stronger.

Returning to Philadelphia in 1775 at the start of American Revolution, Franklin worked tirelessly for the cause of independence. He helped write the Declaration of Independence.

In 1781, the British surrendered,¹⁰ and Franklin was chosen to go to London to help negotiate the peace treaty¹¹ with England. In 1783, the treaty was signed, and two years later Franklin returned home to retire.¹² He was 79 years old. But there was still one more task for him to perform for his country. In 1787, Franklin was called from retirement, this time to help write a constitution for a democratic federal government.

He died three years later, at the age of 84.

(from Twelve Famous Americans)